


Buy it

by kaatjedeee



Series: The life of Natalie Manning and Will Halstead [1]
Category: Chicago Med, Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Hurt, Hurt Natalie, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Multi, Upset Will, pregnancy abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-08 01:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19861375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaatjedeee/pseuds/kaatjedeee
Summary: For once, life is looking good for the Halstead family. Will and Natalie have been married for 1,5 years and can become the parents of a baby girl any minute. Jay thrives in his job at the Intelligence Unit from CPD and happily prepares for becoming an uncle (kind of the second time). When he gets a case of pregnant women who get captured and murdered, with their babies nowhere to be found, he gets the shivers, mainly thinking about his sister-in-law and his unborn niece. Unfortunately, this isn't without reason...





	1. Chapter 1

“Tell Nat she better takes care of my niece. She’s almost ready to pop, right?”  
“Four weeks left. Owen can’t wait till his little sister gets here and his mom… Well, she’s kinda done with having to waggle around.”  
“I heard that!”  
Jay laughed.  
“Will, I’m almost at the presinct, got to go. Send Nat and Owen my love. Bye bro.”  
“Bye man.”  
Jay hung up while he drove unto his parking spot. He said hi to Trudy when he entered the presinct, and he was the first one to log into the intelligence office.  
He did not have to clean up the coffee pot, that was for sure.  
“Morning.”  
“Morning.”  
Slowly, everyone streamed into the office. It would be a day of paperwork, so Jay would still have time to pick his baby gift up from Burgess her place. He knew Owen was basically Will’s kid, but Jay wanted to do something special for Will’s first child.  
Jay had crafted the gift himself. Kim had helped with the girly touch.  
“No paper work today folks, we have a more important matter at hands.”  
Antonio walked into the office with big, ferm steps.  
“Christina Fernandez, 28. Mikaela Bennet, 27. The first one was 34 weeks pregnant when she vanished, found back dead with her abdomen cut open. No fetus to be found. Same story goes for Mikaela, only she vanished at thirty six weeks.”  
“We’re having a serial killer here?” Kevin asked. While Antonio continued his briefing, the story gave Jay secretly the shivers.  
“A serial killer for sure. A psycho. The case has been given to us because of the kids. No one knows where the kids went. The bodies have obviously been dumped.”  
“An amber alert has been put out,” Hank said. “Hospitals have been called to look out for infants that get brought in. Meanwhile, we have to put word out on the street.”  
“Any motives for why he would take the babies out?”   
“Human trafficking, probably. That’s why we have to keep all our channels open,” Antonio responded. “Best we get to work immediately then.” 

* * *

“Halstead.”   
“Will, it’s Ellen. Wasn’t Natalie supposed to pick up Owen on her way home?”   
Natalie had been supposed to pick up Owen. Three hours ago.   
“Ellen, you’re saying she never picked him up?”   
“No, dear. He’s still here.”   
“Let me get back to you in a minute.”   
Will hung up on Ellen and tried Natalie her cellphone. It immediately went to voicemail. Not knowing what else to do, he called the one other person he could think of.   
“Hey, it’s me. You probably think I sound crazy, but could you run Natalie her phone for me?” 

* * *

Kickboxing against her ribs was what made Natalie wake up.  
“Aahhh… Hush, little one.”  
She tried to breath through it, but it didn’t really work. The baby had been restless all day.  
“Go back to sleep. Pretend to be asleep before he sees you.”  
She was in a cage.   
“Hurry!”   
The girl in the cage next to her had a young, but panicked face. Quickly Natalie closed her eyes. Someone passed by.   
“You’ll be after me. There are five before us. He likes to collect before the harvest.”   
“What harvest?”   
A door fell shut.

* * *

”He’s on his way here Sarge. He deserves to know.”   
”It’s a delicate situation, Jay. We have to be careful when nothing is certain.”   
”I know. I don’t want to be the one telling him, and I know that if we’re certain, he’s gonna freak, but we also know that if he has to hear it from someone, it has to come from me.”   
”He’s seen the security tapes?”   
”He hasn’t. Goodwin was earlier then he was. I’m sure he suspects something is off, because I called him here.”   
Kim put her head around the corner.   
”Sarge, Platt just called upstairs, Jay’s brother is on his way, but he isn’t very happy.”   
Jay looked at his sergeant.   
”Go,” the latter answered. “I would have been the same.”   
Jay exited Voight his office, happy that his fellow intelligence members had hidden the investigation board from sight. Will was making a scene against Hailey that he wanted to see Jay immediately. She was happy when Jay came up in her sight.   
”Jay-”   
”With me.”   
”Jay-”   
”Not now Will.”   
”I-”   
”Will.”   
Jay pulled his older brother into the coffee corner.   
”Jay, what the hell is going on?”   
”You should sit.”   
”Jay, you’re keeping something from me.”   
”I’m, I’m trying to tell you something here Will,” Jay hissed. Realizing he had lost his cool, he closed his eyes for a minute.   
”Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that, especially right now. It’s just that… Everything is more complicated and I made a plee with the team that I should be the one telling you this, but I have no idea how.”   
Will suddenly sat down, looking at Jay with a question in his eyes that was feared by most. Jay had seen that look before.   
”No, it’s not like that. No Will, if that would have been the case, you would have known it by now.”   
”No one is telling me something Jay. Please… What do you know about Nat?”   
”It’s… Ugh.”   
Jay sat down across his brother.   
”When we started this, I already got the shivers, thinking about you guys.”   
”Tell me what’s up your mind Jay,” Will asked. His voice sounded thick. Jay remembered a far past, how he would have acted when Erin-  
” Today we started with a case about two murdered women. When they had vanished, they had been both in the last trimester of their pregnancy.”   
Will put his hands in front of his face.   
”Don’t say it.”   
”When we found them back… I won’t do you the pain of showing you the PD photographs Will, but both of them were dead, no fetus or baby to be found.”   
”Did they… Were they…”   
”They’d been slaughtered, Will. Butchered.”   
Tears filled in the ginger his eyes. Jay felt his brother’s pain.   
“What was on the video tapes?”   
A question that surprised Jay.   
”No one allowed me to see them. What was on the security tapes Jay?”   
”How she was taken. Will, I swear, I’ll do everything in my power-”   
”My pregnant wife has been taken by a serial killer that takes their babies out.”   
”Will-”   
”My pregnant wife has been taken by a serial killer that cuts their babies out. My pregnant wife… Oh god…”   
He stood up and kicked against the table.   
”I can’t… Jay… I can’t… You… Owen…”   
Jay knew the words Will was trying to say.   
”Will, I need you to calm down.”   
”How do you expect me to calm down?! Natalie, our daughter…”   
He sank down on the ground.   
”You have to find her Jay. I’m begging you. Please.”   
”I remember that promise I made on your wedding day . I’m not planning on giving up on that promise. Not today. Now, give me your hand.”   
He helped the ginger back on his feet.   
”You know how this works Will. It doesn’t help when you’re panicking. You don’t help Nat with it, you don’t help me with it and you certainly don’t help Owen with it. You’re the one stable figure he has right now, can you do that?”   
Will whipped the tears from his face and nodded.   
”I’m gonna need some information about Nat her medical condition. Hadn’t she been complaining the baby was making her crazy?”   
Will nodded.   
”Ehm… She’s at 37 weeks right now. She wanted to continue working full time, me and Goodwin had been against it, but then the Braxton Hicks contractions started last week, so her OB made her take a step back, which was why she stopped earlier then me today.”  
Jay produced a little smile while he wrote the information down.   
”That’s good. That gives us something to start with.”   
”If you knew the medical risks running through my head right now…”   
”Will, I’m not letting Nat and my not born yet niece down. We’ll do everything we can. You know how convincing Voight can be when it comes to these kind of cases.”   
Will, knowing Jay his boss, managed to curl his lips a little.  
”Owen still with Helen?”   
Will nodded.   
”I know you’re probably gonna hate me, but the best thing you can do right now is pick him up and take him home. It’ll help you to calm down and it helps him with not suspecting anything.”  
”Jay-”   
”We’ll take care of it bro. You take care of my nephew, all right?” 

* * *

This wasn’t good.  
”We’re gonna be fine,” she whispered to her belly. “We’re gonna be just fine.”   
She didn’t remember how she had ended up in this place. She did knew she had to get out. She had to get out, and fast.   
”What is this place?”   
”Hell.”  
The young woman in the cage next to her was staring at her.   
”We don’t have long. He can be back any minute to start his invetorisation. How far along are you?”   
”37 weeks.”   
The woman made a face.   
”I’m sorry. He’ll think you’re wanting. If you don’t go into labor before he gets to you, it doesn’t look very good for you.”   
”How… How long have you been here?”   
”Longer then you. He does one or two every day. After invetarisation he locks us down for the night.”   
”What’s your name?”   
”Names don’t matter here.”   
”I always remember my patients names.”   
”You’re a doctor?”   
”Yes, and as a doctor I can see something’s off.”   
”Ofcourse something is off. We’re in the friggin-”   
”No, that’s not what I mean.”   
”Then what do you mean?”   
”He wants something with the babies right?”   
Natalie shivered.   
”If he wants healthy kids, this is definitely not the way to do it.” 

* * *

”Are you all right?”   
”No. I’m not.”   
”Is there something I can do for you?”   
No answer.   
”Jay… I can’t do anything if you don’t talk to me.”   
Will had just been sended home. Jay knew there was a double reason.   
They couldn’t have his brother walking around the precinct. Not with all the nasty information they could find.   
”I… I need to find Nat. And my niece, when needed.”   
”All right, that’s what we’ll do.”   
Hailey and Jay got interrupted by Voight.  
”Halstead, my office. Antonio, you can start already.”   
Jay looked at Hailey, and followed his boss. Hank closed the door behind him and leaned against his desk.   
”I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me you’ll be able to work this case like you’re told to.”   
”I… I think we both know that’s not gonna happen.”   
”That’s what I expected.”   
Jay looked out of the window.   
”You know I cannot do nothing, sarge. I would never forgive myself if I stood by doing nothing, while we might not find her in time.”   
”I know, but you know what happens if you let your emotions get the better of yourself. They’ll have your head for that, Halstead.”   
The older man could see something hard in the young detective his eyes. Something that reminded him of… Him.   
”I’d sure like to see them try.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“Where is mommy?”   
Will tucked Owen into bed.   
“She’s still at work, bud. She’ll be home soon.”   
“Is my little sister there yet?”   
Will’s heart broke into a million little pieces.   
“No Owen. She isn’t. When she is, you’ll know it.”   
He read the 5 year old a bedtime story. After closing Owen’s chamber door, Will dropped down on the couch.  
He missed his wife.   
He missed their daughter too, and she wasn’t even born yet.  
The doorbell sounded. If something had come up, Jay would have called before getting to his front door.   
When he peaked through the peaking hole, he saw Maggie.   
“Maggie?”   
“Jay called me and told me everything. Miss Goodwin gave me off for as long as needed.”   
She hugged him tightly.   
“I know Jay sended you home. I’m not gonna leave you alone Will. Not now.”   
Will just stared to the empty space in front of him.   
“Come. I’ll make you something to eat.”   
Maggie led herself in, pushed Will on the couch and started to make Will something to eat in the kitchen. 

* * *

“Good morning my loves! It is harvest day.”   
Screaming was what made Natalie wake up.   
“Who are the lucky ones today? We have wanting customers waiting for us!”   
Sleepy faces all around her. By getting one look from the girl in the cage next to her, Natalie knew she had to keep her head down. That was all she could do at the moment to protect herself and the baby.   
At the end of the hallway, one of the cages got opened.   
“Thirty nine weeks. Perfect.”   
“No, no, please… No! NOO! LET ME GO, LET ME GO!”   
A door fell shut. The screams had stopped.   
“What is this place?” Natalie whispered to the girl in the cage next to her. “And don’t give me hell. I want to know.”   
“How are you not absolutely terrified right now? That man… He’s… I’ve seen three go already. They never come back.”  
“But-”   
“He hasn’t given you your initiation yet. You’ll see for yourself.” 

* * *

Antonio’s CI had been the useful one. He had tipped him off with the rumor on the streets that there was a new man in town, who helped rich couples out in their time of… Need.   
Rich couples who were unable of having children themselves could contact this man and he would grant them their wish for the right prise. Unfortunately for the team, the CI had only been willing to tell them about the rumor of this man and his services going around. He had claimed to know nothing else.   
“So we’re having two different options right now. We find the way of contacting him and set up two of our people as a family looking for his help, or we find a family that has already gotten his help.”   
“Sarge, getting one of those families to talk, or even stand finding them is gonna be a hell of a job. If those families are as rich as Antonio his CI claims to be-”   
“Don’t take me for an idiot, Ruzek,” Voight responded. “I’ve thought about that myself. I’m going to work a lead first. If that doesn’t work, we’re gonna put you and Upton up as a fake family.”   
Ruzek and Antonio exchanged a look.   
“Sarge-”   
“Not now Halstead!” Voight barked. “Take this from me, it’s for the best you don’t know what I’m about to go do next.” 

* * *

“Thanks for calling.”   
Jay had given Will a call about the progress they were making. What his little brother had told him filled him with absolute disgust. He usually had a strong stomach, but this…   
“Will? Will, what did he say?”  
Maggie had stayed the night and had mostly spend her time with Will, talking. He hadn’t been able to get to sleep anyway.   
“Will-?”  
Will had just been staring in empty space for a few seconds. He made it to the bathroom just in time so he could throw up.   
“Will? Will, talk to me.”   
Maggie stood in the door opening when Will sat back at the cold bathroom tiles.   
“He… He sells them.”   
“What?”   
“He lets rich families pay a shit load of money and sells them the babies.” 

* * *

What Hank was about to do next, was pay deputy-superintendent Brennan a visit. The situation was delicate and Hank knew that if he would play this the wrong way, it would cost his team more than just their heads.   
“Hank, come in. I heard about the case you’re working. One of your detectives is involved right?”   
“His sister in law, actually.”   
“Now, tell me what it is you want. I want this case solved as fast as possible.”   
“That is exactly why I am here,” Voight answered. “You see, Katherine, this case points us to rich families in Chicago, families with influence. Usually, I would do this my way, but you know me. Being sloppy when kids are involved is not my style. But to get back to the point, we all know what happens when I start digging into families with influence. People get mad.”   
“What do you need from me?”   
Katherine Brennan was a cunning woman, good and smart at her work, but even she had a weak spot for these kind of cases.   
“You have more influence in that department than me. I know that you’re a businesswoman Brennan, every action has its price, but for this once, I ask you… I have a detective who’s sister in law has been taken. She should be 37 weeks pregnant by now. Has a little boy at home, 5 years old. Even if it’s just for his sake-”  
“Hank, I know we haven’t always been on the same line, but even I have my limits. I’ll put pressure where it’s necessary. You’ll hear as soon as possible from me.” 

* * *

“Pffffff… Oah.”   
Her contractions had come back. Something in her told her this weren’t her ordinary Braxton Hicks contractions.  
The door opened. The man- whatever he had been doing, he was done with it. The taken girl had not returned. To make things worse, he was heading straight for her.   
Another contraction hit.   
_Keep it in, keep it in, you’re going to keep your friggin mouth shut._  
“You’re my newest price. Hello. I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself yet. It was the first part of our harvest which needed to be completed first. Such a beauty you are.”   
Still no more contractions. That was good.   
“You’re not an ignorant one. You know what’s going here. It makes you fierce, a good trade I like to see in my merchandise. You will know me as the trader, by the way. Inside you, there is beautiful merchandise which I will trade for tons of riches. Do you have anything to say about that?”   
Natalie didn’t give him an answer.   
“Very well then.”   
He turned around to the other cages. “The following one is up for the harvest, my loves!”   
When the following girl started to scream, Natalie let out a moan of pain. The girl in the cage next to her heard it.   
“You’re not telling me that you’re choosing this moment to go into labor.”   
“Well, I didn’t exactly choose it,” she hissed back. Feeling another contraction coming up, fear tried to take a grip of her.   
“Shut up. Shut up shut up shut up. You’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna be just fine.”


	3. Chapter 3

“He sells them on profile.”   
Brennan had worked her magic and she had found a family, the Millers. When they had heard about the murders, they had felt ashamed of their actions. With Brennan’s help, they were willing to talk.   
“According to Mrs. Miller, he asks the families for a description of the kind of child they want. Haircolor potentials, the figure they will possibly get in the future. Later, he comes around with a book with pictures of the children.”   
Jay grabbed the paper Ruzek had been reading the information from.   
“He can even ask them if they mind about possible inheritable diseases? There is no way he can know all of that by just grabbing a random pregnant lady from the street. He has to get his information from somewhere.”  
“We looked into the first victims their OB’s,” Hailey said. “They don’t have the same one.”   
“But they both have their ob’s at MED,” Jay replied. “What if we’re not looking for an OB-GYN here murdering his patients, but what if we’re looking for someone who just has acces to their files?”   
Hank went to his office. “I’ll call Goodwin.”   
Jay grabbed his cell as well.   
“Who are you calling?”   
“Luckily for me I have the gossip queen from MED under speed dial.” 

He could not just sit there and do nothing.  
Natalie had been gone for a day and a half now. Will didn’t have the power to bring Owen to Ellen today, but the little boy was starting to ask questions. It were questions Will didn’t know how to answer.  
“Staring at your phone won’t help anyone.”   
They had spend their time cleaning the house while Owen was playing in his room. Maggie surely knew how to keep his mind of things.   
“I know… It’s just…”   
“I know.”   
That same moment, it was Maggie her phone that rang.   
“Jay?”   
Will his face said everything.   
“ Uhm… Not sure. No, I’ve known most of them for years. Anyone new? Let me see… Not that I know off, besides the usual… Yeah, they switch on rotation sometimes, it happens.”   
She didn’t show him anything. Dammit.   
“If there is someone… Well, there is one fellow giving most of the nurses the shivers. Monique caught him once in the NICU, mesmerizing about how much human trafficers would pay for babies… His name is Liam Robinson.”   
The person at the other side of the line hung up the phone. With Will staring point blank at her, Maggie knew she owned the redhead an explanation.  
“That was Jay. They found out the missing women are based on the patient files of every woman who has an OB at MED. They are going through everyone as we speak.”   
“You mean… The…”   
He was unable of forming the words, but Maggie knew what he was asking. She nodded softly.   
“Yeah. This monster… He works at MED.” 

This wasn’t good timing. Her water had broken. This was definitely the worst timing in the world.   
“Your fate has been sealed,” the girl in the neighbouring cage said.   
Another contraction hit her.  
“May the lord have mercy on your soul.”   
A cold sweat took master of Natalie her body. The same moment, an alarm sounded through the entire cage block. The door opened.  
No one from the intelligence unit was surprised Liam Robinson had somehow not showed up to work that exact same morning. After figuring out Robinson lived in his since 2 months death mother’s house in Lake Shore Drive, a mansion with according to the blue prints an enormous basement, Jay knew they were having their eyes on the price. They were just on their way out when Trudy came upstairs, followed by a very anxiously looking Will.   
“There was no stopping-”   
“Jay! You have to take me with you. I know you’re going out. You have to take me with you, you’ll need a doctor on scene there.”   
There was no hair on Jay his head thinking about taking Will with him on this bust. He still remembered the Burke affair from a few years back. It hadn’t done Will any good. Next to that, Voight was barely letting Jay join in on this bust.  
“Jay, go to the van with Antonio and Upton. Ruzek, call ahead to MED. I want the girls from 61 on standby with Choi. He’ll know how to handle himself in a situation like this.”   
Ruzek started to call ahead. Voight grabbed Will by his shoulder.   
“Kid, look at me. You’re absolutely right that we might need someone with medical expertise on site, but there is no chance that’s gonna be you. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to explain myself about that. Your girl and you are one of us, kid. We’re bringing her home. Whatever it takes.”   
Knowing how Voight acted when one of his own were hurt, Will was a little more reassured. But only a little. 

“CPD!”  
Kicking down the door was the easy part. No one was to be seen on the ground floor.   
“Ground floor clear!”   
“Ground floor clear!”   
“Ground floor clear!”   
“All right, I want the medical team here now!” Voight yelled. “Burgess, Attwater, get me the entrance to the basement. We have no time to lose.”   
Robinson had definitely thought about his plans. The entrance of the basement could be found behind a book shelf.   
“Let’s go! Halstead, Upton, cover our medics.”   
Jay and Hailey closed the back of their group and he had to say it, it was a long way down the stairs they were following. When they reached the end of the stairs, they found a door. The door wasn’t even locked.   
“CPD!”   
What they found behind the door made Jay shocked to his core. The hallway was filled with cages. It were 12 cages at least, but only three of them were filled with women. Pregnant women. No sign of Natalie.   
“We’re chicago police department, we’re here to help you out!” Voight yelled. “Upton, Attwater, assist the medics with whatever they need.”   
“Boss, there is still another door!” Ruzek yelled.   
“I’ll cover you,” Antonio answered.   
They went in, but words Antonio yelled immediately after made Jay his heart froze.   
“CHOI! WE NEED YOU HERE!”   
Jay followed Ethan immediately, entering a perfectly rebuild OR, where there was more blood then the young detective had seen in most of his life.   
“No no no no no… Nat, it’s me, Ethan. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be just fine. Guys, I need room to work. Call ahead to MED, when I stabilized her, we need to get her out of here.”   
Ruzek and Antonio checked the rest of the room. Jay, remembering the promise he had made to his brother, ran to Natalie her bedside.   
“Nat? Nat! Stay with me, come-on. I know that you’re loosing a lot of blood, but you have to stay with me. Tell me what happend, what did he do to you?”   
“Jay-”   
“Ethan, I’m not moving.”   
Natalie was opening and closing her eyes, slipping in and out of consciousness.  
“Nat, stay with me, come-on.”   
“He… He… Jay?”  
“Jay, keep her flat on her back. She had a natural delivery but I can’t see where all the blood is coming from. BRETT, I NEED AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS!”   
“Yeah, it’s me. Nat, it’s me, I’m taking you back to Will. Hey Nat, stay with me- Nat- Nat!”   
This time, Natalie slipped back into unconsciousness and started to seize. Sylvie ran into the room, assisting Choi.  
“Voight, I need Jay out of here until I stabilized Nat.”   
Against heavy protesting, Voight pulled Jay out of the room. By looking at the young detective his face, Voight knew Jay was done for this bust.   
“Halstead, you’re going upstairs.”   
“But sarge-”   
“Jay, don’t complain for this once please.”   
Hank dragged Jay upstairs, where it was now crawling with the forensic investigators from the CPD. He put him on a bench outside and forced Jay to look at him.  
“Jay, I’m only going to say this once, so I need to be sure that you’re hearing me, understood?”  
He got a nod as an answer.   
“Your brother’s girl is in though shape. They’re both going to need you. We cleared the entire house, there are no children to be found anywhere. The last thing anyone needs is for you to pull such a stunt as back in the day with your father his death, do you understand what I’m saying here?”   
Jay heard the translation in Hank his words. “Don’t go run off on your own behind those kids, your niece, and don’t get yourself killed. I will have your head if you do so.”   
“Understood Sarge.”   
“You’re done for tonight Halstead, right now there is only one thing I need you to do. You’re gonna give your brother a call that he has to get his ass to MED as soon as possible and when doctor Choi has stabilized her, you’re riding along with them to MED. You’re going to interrogate her when she’s up for it, all right?”   
When Natalie and his brother got married, Jay had made them a promise that he would always be there for them and he would always protect them. A voice inside his mind was yelling at him right now, telling him he should ignore his boss and run straight for the hills, looking for his niece, but something else in him told him Voight was right.   
He perfectly remembered the lecture Will had given him after he got shot by their father’s murderer.   
“All right. Let me give Will a call.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Maggie had to drag Will home from the precinct.   
“Why Will so sad?”   
Maggie hoped Owen could be some kind of distraction to Will, but she highly doubted it. All the redhead had done since they had come home was sit on the couch, holding his head in his hands. The little boy didn’t understand anything from it.   
“That’s a very long story kiddo.”   
“Is it because of mommy?”   
The kid might be five years old, but he definitely wasn’t stupid.   
“Yes Owen,” Maggie replied. “Will doesn’t know where your mommy is right now and that makes him very sad.”   
In that moment, Owen did the most sweetest thing possible. He crawled on the couch, crawled on Will his lap and put his arms around him. Surprised by the boy his gesture for a second, Will hugged his steph-son back.   
“Will shouldn’t be sad.”  
“I know bud. I know.”   
They were interrupted by Will his phone. Maggie quickly took Owen from him, so Will could answer the call. A cry immediately escaped his lips.   
“Thank god. Thank god, sweet jesus.”   
Maggie sighed in relief.   
“Jay, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Don’t leave her side.”   
The redhead hung up the phone and had his coat on within seconds. “Jay’s with her. They’re heading to MED.”   
“Oh Will, that’s fantastic. But I’ll drive.”

* * *

  
Jay had been waiting for him in the ED.   
“Jay! Jay, where is she? Is she all right? I have to-”  
“Will- Will, stop. They’re still working on her, you can’t-”  
“I have to- Nat! NATALIE!”  
“Will, Will, calm down. You know you can’t go in there.”   
Will tried to get a look into the trauma room, but Jay pushed him back into the direction of the waiting room.   
“There are some things you need to know first. If I had to believe Choi, it’s not looking that pretty.”   
That made Will freeze.   
“Maggie, can we sit down somewhere?”  
“Take the consultation room over there.”   
Maggie let them into a room Will recognized as the room they always used to tell people bad news, but Jay forced him to sit down.   
“Jay, what are you not telling me?”  
“Will, she’s alive, let that be clear first. Before I continue, I’m gonna need you to take a breath. Can you do that for me?”  
He knew he had to shut his personal feelings off for a second. He needed to be here. He was the only one from whom his brother was supposed to hear this.   
“We immediately had the right location. In most of the house there was no one to be found, but when we went down into the basement, we found cages. We only found three women in there, but it were at least 15 cages. When we went further into the basement, we found Nat. She’d already given birth, but there was so much blood… I don’t know the exact details, I don’t speak doctor, but we searched the entire place. There were no children to be found Will, I’m so sorry. If it were up to me, I’d be tearing down the entire city of Chicago, you have to believe me on that, but Voight thought-”  
Jay quit talking because Will didn’t say anything. All he did was staring into point blank air.   
“Will? Will, you still with me?”  
“The last time we were at her OB, she was worried about her high blood pressure, which can lead to eclampsia or even worse. Do you remember if you saw her having seizures?”   
Jay nodded softly. Will produced a sound that mostly seemed to be a combination from a cry and a moan.   
“Will… Will, hey!”  
“Do you know into what Eclampsia can result?!” The ginger yelled. “Brain damage, organ failure. Her heart could even stop beating! Our child is somewhere being sold to rich ass people who don’t care about murder, and Nat… If I lose Nat…” He started to cry and to hyperventilate at the same time.   
“Will, look at me. Will, look at me! Deep breaths. Breath with me, okay?”   
Jay started to breath in and out loudly, so his brother would follow his example. When he had calmed down enough, Jay put his hands on Will his chin, forcing him to look back at him.   
“Look at me. I know how much you love Nat. Choi can be here any minute with news about her, but you got to keep it together, all right? It wasn’t pretty there. She’s gonna need you. I don’t want to leave you like this and Voight had the same thoughts as me, but you only have to say it Will. Tell me to break the entire city of Chicago down to find your kid, and I will. If you want me to stay… I will do that as well.” Tears welled up in his eyes again. Jay knew he couldn’t leave him like this. Not right now. 

* * *

  
“I want everything we can find about this Liam Robinson. I want to know what he eats at night, which girl he has for what day. I want to know everything there is! We have the lives of multiple children on the line. Let’s go!”   
Back at the office, Hank put his people to work. He was surprised Jay hadn’t shown up at his doorstep yet, but that could still come.   
_Any news? How’s your brother?_   
An answer followed a few seconds later.   
_“Nothing. He’s a wreck.”_   
Hank genuinely hoped dr. Manning would turn out just fine. She was a good woman who did not deserve this. He would do whatever it would take to find her child and the other children back. He would do whatever it would take.

* * *

Maggie had helped Jay transfer Will to the waiting area. They were sitting beside him, while Will was sitting in the middle. The oldest Halstead was doing something Jay hadn’t see him do in a very long time. Praying.   
He was praying to some god forsaken god, in the hope Natalie would turn out just fine. Jay didn’t really call himself the religious type, but he knew one thing this definitely meant. His brother was really desperate.   
When Choi came out into the waiting area, Will looked up from his thoughts.   
“We just transferred her up to the ICU. I’ve consulted with her own OB-GYN, because it was a though procedure. When we found her, stress and the situation probably had taken its tole on her body already. I can only guess to the exact details of what happend there, but we think the entire situation lead to Natalie having eclampsia. We’re still waiting on different test results. Who ever was holding her took probably off in a hurry with the child, because he didn’t give time for the placenta to be born. It didn’t come out by itself, which is why she had such severe blood loss. It explains all the blood you saw on scene,” Choi explained to Jay. “The combination of severe blood loss and the eclampsia did not improve her chances. She started to seize again, so we had to hook her up to a ventilator. Will…”  
“So… She is comatose,” Will said with a hoarse voice, looking at Choi.   
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”  
“Can I see her?”  
Maggie and Jay exchanged a look.   
“Of course. I’ll take you up to her.”  
Will followed Ethan immediately. After exchanging a quick look with Maggie, Jay followed them up to the ICU. From a short distance, he saw Will and Ethan walk into her room. He could hear Ethan explain something to him, after which he left him alone with her. While Will went into the room, Ethan came into Jay his direction.   
“How do you see her chances?”   
The dark haired doctor shrugged.   
“She has good chances at waking up, but how she’ll get out of it… We can only guess. You should definitely keep an eye on Will though. He looks like he could use it.”  
“Thanks Ethan.”   
Dr. Choi left the floor, while Jay walked into the direction of Natalie her room. Through the glass, he could see she was at least looking a bit better then when they had found her. She was cleaned up properly. If you ignored the tube in her throat, you could easily think she was asleep. Although she was his brother’s girl, Jay’s heart hurt seeing her like this. She’d become like a little sister to him, and all he wanted was for her to be okay.  
When he looked around the corner, he could see Will at her bedside, holding her hand in both his hands. By looking at his face, he knew he hadn’t let go of the praying.   
When Jay put a hand on the ginger his shoulder, only then Will noticed his presence.   
“Her chances are good, but according to Choi, her first 24 hours are crucial.”   
“Do you want me to stay?”   
Will looked at Natalie her face.   
“Maggie’ll make sure I won’t lose my mind, Jay. I’m with her now. She’s alive, and I’m here with her. I think we both know the place where you need to be.”   
Jay embraced his brother from the back. “I’ll bring her home. You have my word.”

* * *

Just the moment Jay walked into the precinct, the team had found an interesting lead.   
“Continue. Halstead, my office.”   
When Voight had closed the office door behind him, he pointed Jay to the couch against the wall.   
“Talk to me.”  
“She’s in a coma. She has a good chance of waking up, but they don’t know if it will be without any consequences.”   
“I’m sorry to hear that. How’s your brother holding up?”   
“He asked me to be here sarge. He asked me to bring this son of a bitch to justice and to bring their kid home. When you get asked something like that while he’s at her bedside…”  
“I get it. You can’t say no.” He sat down behind his desk. “You got in at just the right moment. We pinged phone numbers that have been active in Robinson his house. Turns out he’s a better doctor then a technician, we found the phone he uses to make deals with the paying families. He just made a call about a new born girl, born by natural delivery. Rings a bell?”  
Of course it did.   
“He said he would meet the family at their place, with the child tomorrow morning, around 1pm. We will be waiting, long before he gets there.”

* * *

This night would be one of the most difficult ones in Will his life. He spend it at Natalie her bedside, holding her hand and checking her vitals, but mostly, he was praying. It had been since his mom her death that he had prayed for something, but right now, it felt as the only logical thing to do. As a doctor, he knew she probably couldn’t hear him, so all he did was hold her hand, hoping she would feel his presence.   
“I know you rocked the single mom thing just fine, but I have no interest in playing the single dad, you know that right?”   
Sometimes Maggie came to check on him. Sometimes she sat with him. When he had fallen asleep from exhaustion with his hand strangled in hers and with his head on her bed, she had put a blanket around him.

* * *

They had their people on every possible spot. Having arrested the family early in the morning, human trafficking was illegal after all, Hailey, Ruzek and Antonio were waiting in the house until Robinson would show up. Hank was waiting in a van just some meters down the street with Jay. Burgess and Attwater were in another car, waiting for the right moment to play a passing couple. When a minivan stopped in front of the house, Kim and Kevin got out of the car, pretending to be a couple. When a familiar face got out of the van, with a baby carseat on his arm, Jay had to bite on his tongue not to jump out of the car.   
“Not yet Jay. Not yet.”   
The man rang the doorbell. Kim and Kevin pulled their weapons. The door opened. Hailey, Adam and Antonio had pulled their weapons as well. Hank and Voight jumped out of the van.   
“CHICAGO PD! PUT THAT BABY ON THE FLOOR NICE AND EASY! PUT THAT BABY DOWN AND SHOW ME YOUR HANDS!”   
Jay hoped they wouldn’t need to shoot him. If he died-   
He seemed wanting to pull something from his pocket. Antonio shot him in the shoulder. The carseat with the baby fell down on the ground. The infant started to cry.   
The first thing Jay did, was run down to bring the infant into safety. He dropped back to the van with the little one. As she was still crying, he took her out of her car seat. Her length definitely showed she could not have been born that long ago. Her eyes— She had their mother’s eyes.   
“Hey you… Shh, it’s okay. Shh.”   
The baby seemed to calm down a little.   
“Halstead, how’s the kid doing?” Voight asked. The others were rounding up at the house.   
“She seems fine to me sarge. She has my mom her eyes.”  
Jay could see a soft smile appear on Voight his face, one he had usually reserved for cases concerning his wife, his grandchild, or Erin.   
“Then go. You know what to do.” He threw him some car keys. “She’s in good hands with you.”

* * *

At MED, the first person Jay ran into was Connor Rhodes. Knowing the situation, he immediately took the baby from Jay.   
“She seems perfectly fine to me, Jay. She’s in good health, most likely born one day ago.”  
Jay sighed in relief. This was a good start at first.  
“Could you-”   
“A DNA check, just to be sure-? Then I’m gonna need some blood from you as well. I assume you don’t want to ask your brother for it. I’ll ask April.”   
April came in and started to draw blood from Jay his arm. By only looking at the little girl, Jay just knew that this was his niece, but he couldn’t shake the feeling he just had to be sure.   
“The entire hospital knows about Will and Natalie their situation. Word travels around fast here. They’ll start on it immediately. When it’s busy, it usually takes a few hours, but they should be able to do it in one know.”   
“Thank you.”  
Jay knew that giving his brother false hope would definitely break his heart.   
“Oh April?”   
“Yes?”  
“I know how gossip works around here. It doesn’t differ that much from the precinct. I rather have that he hears it from me then from the gossip train.”   
April nodded with a smile. “I’ll take care of it.”

* * *

  
After everything that had happend, an hour of extra waiting was something Jay could perfectly manage. The little girl had fallen asleep on the bed and he couldn’t stop watching her. He didn’t even notice it when April came in. “Your blood and the babies blood have a 23% DNA match, which means-”   
“Thank god.”  
“I’m happy she’s okay Jay.”   
Jay took the little girl in his arms and started to make is way to the elevator.   
“So am I. It’s about to be time she meets someone special.”

* * *

“There is something going on Maggie. I don’t like it.”  
Will had spend the entire night and morning at Natalie her bedside. Maggie had forced him to get coffee for the two of them, but when he had gotten back from the cafetaria, he had noticed there was something going on. All medical staff on the ICU floor kept looking into their direction.   
“It’s like something is coming, but I can’t put my finger on it.”  
“I told you, you should have gone home to get some sleep.”   
Will stepped foot outside Natalie her room, to look around the floor. Everyone suddenly seemed busy with doing something else. He went back into the room, only to see Maggie with a big smile on her face.  
“What?”  
“Just look.”  
Someone walked into their direction, with a big smile on his face. Now, everyone was looking at them again. An applause sounded through the entire floor. Will was frozen on his spot.  
“She’s perfectly fine. Rhodes wrote down her birth certificate downstairs. You wanna-”   
“Yes! I mean-”   
Jay gave the baby to his brother, who could only stare into the little girl her eyes.   
“She has mom her eyes.”   
“I know.”   
With the little girl in his arms, Will embraced his brother.  
“Thank you. Just-”  
“Don’t. It’s okay. I couldn’t let you be completely miserable.”   
They both looked at Nat, who’s condition was still unchanged.   
“You know,” Will started, walking back into the room, “there is this theory going around about mother’s and their just born children. Mags, you wanna lend me a hand?”   
Maggie, who obviously knew what Will was talking about, started to unbutton a part of Natalie her hospital top.   
“Skin to skin contact with their mom is said to make miracles happen. There you go…”   
Will put the baby girl next to her mom on the bed, making sure she would touch her moms chest with her bare skin.   
“It’s a long shot, but sometimes you just…”  
The fingers on Natalie her right hand started to move. Will was back at her side within a second.   
“Nat? Nat, can you hear me? Please, Natalie…”  
Then she opened her eyes.

**THE END**


End file.
